MPs, others demand legislation for INGOs

ISLAMABAD: PPP Senator Farhatullah Babar has said that there is a need to legislate on civil society after consulting all stakeholders defining the parameters and standards for national and international organisations and no action should be taken in the absence of any law.

Senator Babar was speaking in the question-answer session at a press conference organised by the Pakistan Civil Society Forum at the National Press Club here on Wednesday. Referring to Wednesday’s Senate proceedings, the PPP leader said the government bypassed parliament and policy framework of October 2015 when the task of evaluating international non-governmental organisations was given to the Interior Ministry. He said that it includes security parameters, and agencies were amongst the bodies recommending the recent ban on more than two dozen INGOs. He said that it is a matter of grave concern that footprint of intelligence is larger than life in evaluating INGOs.

Referring to the Senate proceedings, Babar claimed that a Balochistan journalist was

arrested for a “report” which was still not given to the Senate despite demand. He said that footprint of security and ideological outfits should be removed. He said that Pakistan has become a security-driven state and security establishment defines security parametres without taking in confidence stake-holders and keeping their petty interests in mind. He lamented banning outfits which work on what, otherwise, had to be a duty of the state.

Former Senator Afrasiab Khattak from ANP said that INGOs are part of our international relations. He said that non-state actors are getting funds and roaming around freely but law-abiding organisations are being banned. He said that intelligence agencies should not adopt a role of executives as there are no laws to control their operations. He said that the country belongs to people, but its servants think that they are the masters. He said that this arms twisting and strangulation cannot be permitted. He said that this is an era of connectivity and isolating the country in this way is against our national interests.

Earlier, Human rights activist Hina Jilani said that “we are sovereign because people are sovereign. How other outfits can claim sovereignty over and above the people.” She said that freedom of association is our fundamental right. She regretted that policies are being made in the absence of any law. She said we are NGOs and get cooperation from international associations in the fields of human rights, education and health, hence are stake-holder. We want to know your concerns. If you think there are some issues, it should disclose them, but everything is being done without transparency. She said that if there are security and other threats, we protect them more than the government. She said that the authorities want to weaken the civil society and reduce our efforts to strengthen the country. She said any general worries of the government are also our worries if these are genuine. Our performance is a proof of that, she said and said that Pakistan has, otherwise, agreed in October 2015 policy that the government will prepare its report after consulting NGOs.

PCSF Convener Mohammad Tehseen said that the issue is very serious. He lamented that the government is after philanthropic international organisations and media. He said that a government not allowing truth does so at its own peril.

Veteran journalist IA Rehman said that a wall is being created around freedom of expression. He said that the registration of INGOs was never controversial but has been made so by creating hurdles at every step. He said that civil society never said it opposed the government, but the government is adamant on talking civil society as an opposition party. He said that institutions belong to the state, and only civil society can have a vigil on them and protest any wrong-doing. He said that journalists, lawyers, doctors are also part of civil society, and turn is coming for all organisations. He called for repealing the ban.

Dr Abid Qaiyum Suleri, Executive Director, Sustainable Development Policy Institute, urged the government to give reasons for banning INGOs. He said that human rights and labour rights are also part of the GSP Plus and a ban will put question mark on Pakistan’s demands from European Union. The ban will also lead to unemployment, he said, adding that some amongst banned outfits got government appreciation certificates for relief work during disasters. Who will come to our rescue in calamities, he asked.

He called for issuing charge sheet against INGOs so that we know with which organisations we can work. PFUJ President Afzal Butt said that strangulating all will lead to disaster. He said that media is free only to abuse politicians but cannot talk against others. After Taliban, now state and non-state actors are snatching the field from journalists, adding that there are agents who come as defence analysts and then as journalists. He called for establishing a platform of institutions to fight this onslaught. Mirza Naeem from Aurat Foundation said that the government is banning INGOs which are non-political and non-profit but is allowing international business firms. He said that world corporate firms adopt a Pakistani name and earn profit. In the question hour, a journalist questioned why madrassas are not registered in Pakistan in the same way INGOs are being pressurised.